Metal Texture Problem

talk design
1

Hi Folks!

I have made this concept design for my website which isnt a proper website at the moment just lotsa stuff.

http://www.visualamp.com/webinterface.jpg

I currently have that but i want it to be a darker metal.

I have searched for tuts and the best i have found is the brush metal which doesnt look right when added to my interface.

I also got a good metal texture and tried applying that no look with that either messy and all bumpy.

I was just wondering if anyone knows were or how i can make this interface a cool dark metal.

P.s i am planning to add a LCD orb and then do stuff with it in flash and have roatating page coming off and stuff i need the interface first tho :).

2

basically what you have to do is play around with photoshop as much as you can, download metal - grunge brushes (or metal grates pictures - increasing contrast and turn them to brushes)

i made a few changes such as increasing contrast and color dodge etc…
why should you necesseraly need a darker metal ???

3

could you be as so kind to gimme the the .psd you edited with ?i totally love the darker you went with it but i am not sure about the heavy colour dodge. I tried playing around but i messed it up kinda.

If you dont have the .psd dont worry ;).

I need to find a course that will take me on being so young no schools will let me do their courses (14) which is kinda annoying i prefer learning in a people fiolled enviroment :D.

4

Hey - im still at school - the best skills come from experimenting around - i dont consider this any good…

Indeed I didnt save the psd, but if i remember well here’s what 'ive done: cut out the shape again into a new layer

using the layer options and made a bevel and emboss, using a burn color and dodge color for the light and dark, changed the step (in PS it look likes a slope and there are other edges visible) i put a little ‘satin’ option but it’s barely visible

next i put a white-black-gray gradient over that layer using the color dodge to a low level (~10%), and other gradients, though not that much
i also used a metal brush i found on the internet (looks like scratches) with a low level of color burn
finally i used a round brush to add highlights using again the colordodge and color burn (using white and black colors) again with a low level so it wouldnt saturate…

finally an iner shadow and outer shadow to the shape…

stoopid me next time ill save a psd…

5

I don’t know the look you wanted but I did this in PS… it’s your basic standard render lighting trick no frills or excitement…

6

there is a sticky post above this one. go to the void x link or to the robo uk link they have some good stuff on metal interfaces. If you can get this book “Photoshop 7 Down and Dirty tricks” Good tuts in there and a big metal section

7

I really like all your ideas and things you have changed thanks for all the help i willl continue to change things and play around with it until i get it nice and simple :slight_smile: i have lots of ideas for this interface including.

Pixel LCD screen (orb)

Metal bevelled buttons.

Wires and stuff :P.

Oh well bye!